Twilight Boundary-Chapter 633 - 624: The Big-Bellied Ghost King

Finally, the sensation of falling gradually vanished. The howling yin wind in Hu Ma's ears weakened, and he landed on what felt like ground. Or rather, it wasn't truly ground; it was just that the weight he carried finally lessened enough for Hu Ma to feel like he was standing on something. To describe it accurately, it was like a person treading water who finally reached the bottom of a lake—able to stand, yet it felt different from standing on solid earth in the real world of the living.

It was only then that he slowly lifted the lantern in his hand, using its dim light to peer at his surroundings. As soon as he raised his eyes, he immediately felt waves of yin qi washing over them. It was a sour, chilling sensation, as if wet mud had seeped into his eye sockets, making them extremely uncomfortable and swollen. He could only perceive masses of black fog continuously coalescing and dispersing before him. After this happened several times, hazy images finally appeared, startling him.

Is this the underworld?

Humans possess three souls. Those remaining in the mortal world are mostly Guardian Souls, while the destination of the Reincarnated Soul is the Realm of the Dead, also known as the underworld. Although he was a descendant of the Walking Ghost Family and in charge of the Zhensui Mansion, which guarded the passages between the yin and yang realms, this was Hu Ma's first true entry into the underworld.

He found it rather novel. Holding the white lantern, he saw only a pervasive, cold mist all around—damp, chilling, and so thick he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. Looking up, he couldn't see the sky; looking down, he couldn't see the ground. His whole being felt enveloped, unable to find any ease. The lantern in his hand could only illuminate a pathetically small area. Beyond that, he could only discern fleeting, shadowy figures, and his ears would sometimes pick up dull echoes, as if he were submerged in a lake. There were muffled rumbles and occasional faint, rustling sounds, lending an air of unreality to everything.

He glanced down at himself. He seemed real enough, yet for some reason, his arms felt incredibly heavy. Even his sleeves were inexplicably elongated, almost dragging on the ground. Hu Ma raised a hand to look inside his sleeve and discovered it was packed full of gold, silver, and Copper Coins.

Was this what that old nanny burned for him earlier?

He instinctively tried to take a breath but found he couldn't; the ability for a living person to breathe didn't exist here. Yet, whenever he felt the need to breathe, a thread of warm energy would be expelled from within him, and the suffocating sensation would vanish. However, Hu Ma could clearly feel that with each such "breath," his cultivation of the four columns would diminish slightly, burning away.

For a living person entering the underworld, every movement, every breath, exacts a price.

If mortals come down, they pay with their lives, so their time must be strictly limited. If they stay too long, they can't return.

Those on the Path who descend also pay with their cultivation. Though they can stay longer than mortals, they too will be unable to return if they linger too long.

...

...

Adapting, he slowed his breathing and stepped forward. As he walked, the damp, cold mist around him seemed to ripple away like water, and gradually, more of his surroundings came into view. The countless blurred and twisted shadows around him also slowly became discernible.

Hu Ma then realized just how many "people" were around him. Some rode donkeys, some sat in palanquins, and others dragged their legs, crawling on the ground. The more imposing figures were surrounded by retinues of soldiers, advancing in silence. The wretched ones wore yokes, had knives piercing their bodies, or even carried their own heads in their hands as they walked soundlessly.

Each was different, yet they shared a similarity: most wore burial clothes and round hats, and their garments had a paper-like, pasted-on quality. The donkeys they rode, the palanquins they sat in, and even the maidservants and attendants following them seemed to be made of paper, yet their faces wore stiff smiles as they obediently kept pace.

Are these all newly deceased people?

Before undertaking this matter, Hu Ma had inquired with Er Guotou and gained a general understanding of the underworld. Most who entered the underworld were dead, but there was a difference between those who had been dead for a long time and those who had died recently. The newly dead were accustomed to walking on the ground, much like himself. The longer one was dead, the lighter they became, eventually unable to touch the ground, capable only of floating.

And these dead individuals didn't actually know where to go. Unless an underworld official came to guide them or the Lord summoned them, they merely wandered endlessly through the dense mist, unable to achieve reincarnation, unable to be reborn.

Hu Ma, being alive and having a purpose, naturally moved faster than those around him. Suddenly, he heard a JINGLE. It was the copper bell on his wrist, jingling as he walked. In this deathly silent world, the sound was particularly piercing, immediately causing the surrounding yin souls to halt. Lifting their pallid, rigid faces, devoid of any trace of blood, they turned woodenly to look at him.

Hu Ma frowned, pulled the bell from his wrist, and tossed it to the ground. Five Skin had been very clear: Nanny Xue was undoubtedly up to no good. Sending people down and bringing them back up wasn't a huge effort for her, but if discovered by an underworld official, the crime would be severe. The poisonous sores on her body would likely more than double. However, if she only sent people down without bringing them back, it saved her a lot of trouble. She could earn benefits from the living while also having an easier time explaining things to the underworld officials. More crucially, she could also bribe her "good friends" down below!

The gold and silver had indeed been burned "onto" him, but it was meant for him to deliver to her friends. And this bell was to make it convenient for those friends to find him.

...

...

He wasn't afraid. After all, he possessed considerable skills, and besides, Brother Er Guotou would soon be looking for him down here. He casually tossed the bell aside and was about to continue forward, intending to take in the sights of the underworld.

Unexpectedly, after only a few steps, a fierce yin wind suddenly whipped up ahead. Swirling mist rolled in, and ominous, malevolent ghostly shadows stirred.

"The bell rang! The bell rang..."

"Old Mrs. Xue's grand gift has arrived! Where is it? Where is it?"

...

Looking up, Hu Ma saw that the yin souls walking on the ground around him were already trembling with fear. In the distance, the obscuring yin mist was being churned by something. Shadowy figures of varying heights and builds were converging from all directions. Some wore long robes and winged hats; others were dressed like opera performers, their faces painted garishly. One even had three heads and supported itself on its two arms as it moved across the ground. Pairs of eyes, like copper bells, stared out with a chilling intensity. Their gaze, even through the cold mist, was enough to make the little ghosts caught in the middle cry out in terror.

In the underworld, those still walking on the ground were mostly new souls, prime targets for plundering by Evil Ghosts. Unlike Hu Ma, who had descended directly, they had come through the Ghost Gate and had already suffered a round of extortion. The little gold and paper money they had left was only to ensure they suffered slightly less in the underworld. If it were stolen now, wouldn't they be doomed to endless suffering in the long years to come? Even hoping for people in the mortal world to burn more for them would require waiting until the fifteenth day of the seventh month to send a message via a dream...

For a moment, they were all terrified, shouting in a stupor, "Underworld official! Underworld official..."

"Come and help us!"

...

But it was their misfortune. The fact that people could be smuggled down here showed it was a lawless place, beyond anyone's governance. The various ghostly figures converging from above peered intently into their midst, seemingly searching for something. Little ghosts accompanying them shrieked, "He threw the bell away! He threw the bell away..."

"Grandpa, Grandma, he was right ahead, but we can't find him now..."

...

The group of ghostly figures was clearly there for Hu Ma. But because he had discarded the bell, they couldn't immediately locate him. Anxious and frustrated, they cackled menacingly:

"He can't get away! He can't get away..."

...

As they spoke, one of the Evil Ghosts in a blue robe suddenly leaned forward. Its cavernous, blood-red mouth gaped open, and a fierce wind instantly arose. Wisps of incense qi were drawn from the surrounding new ghosts and yin souls, streaming into its mouth.

"Aiya!"

Seeing this, the other ghostly figures, afraid he would devour everything himself, also opened their mouths wide, scrambling to snatch the incense qi. Even the little ghosts clustered around these towering figures revealed greedy expressions. Seizing the opportunity, they rushed into the circle and pounced on the terrified yin souls. Some grabbed at their sleeves, pulling out the gold and silver ingots hidden there and frantically stuffing them into their own robes. Others leaped directly onto the newly deceased yin souls, taking vicious bites. The big ghosts devoured the "flesh," while the little ghosts drank the "soup," leaving not a trace of the lingering incense qi or human vitality on these new souls. These yin souls, struck by disaster, had no strength to resist and were reduced to chaotic cries.

"Hmph!"

At this moment, Hu Ma sneered, his expression darkening. He had been observing these Evil Ghosts in the underworld. Each possessed formidable Mana; if they were to ascend to the mortal world, any one of them could likely be considered a Ghost King of a region. Without top-level Entering the Mansion skills, one wouldn't even dream of confronting such beings. Such Ghost Kings were already rare in the mortal world. If one or two appeared in a single One State, the people there would be plunged into misery. But here in the underworld, there were so many at once?

However, he wasn't particularly bothered. As a Shousui man, he could traverse the underworld in his physical body. This was because Shousui men had a strong foundation. The living dared not provoke them, and they were just as formidable down below.

With a cold snort, he unleashed his soul qi, revealing his Great Mighty Sky General Seal Technique Dharma Form. He had originally intended to keep a low profile and had only used thirty percent of his strength. Unexpectedly, as his soul qi surged, a tumultuous yin wind suddenly swept through the area. A ferocious entity began to manifest from his body, growing uncontrollably.

It was immensely tall, more than double the height of the Evil Ghosts that had gathered, a blue-faced, tusked fiend with four arms. Two hands were clenched into fists, while the other two were open. Its menacing eyes, mostly white with very little black, glinted with a sinister light. When its mouth gaped open, it resembled a bloody maw, eager to devour human flesh and blood.

Oh, my... Even Hu Ma was momentarily stunned. Why, in the underworld, does this Great Mighty Sky General Dharma Form feel like an uncontrollable surge of demonic power, like a legion of Evil Ghosts about to break free?

But before he could ponder it further, he knew he first had to deal with these underworld Evil Ghosts. He needed to make it quick to avoid attracting any underworld officials.

Unexpectedly, as his Dharma Form manifested, an utter silence fell upon the surroundings. An invisible dread seemed to extinguish all sound, spreading rapidly in all directions. Wherever it passed, a chilling fear spread, like an invisible hand clutching countless throats.

The next moment, ghostly shadows scattered and yin souls dissipated in confusion, their terrified cries echoing:

"Heavens above..."

"The Potbelly Ghost King is back! He's really here to devour the underworld..."